Paula Radcliffe has admitted she expected to lose her National Lottery funding and has no intention of retiring.

The marathon world record holder headed a group of senior athletes who have been removed from the World Class Performance Programme for 2013, UK Athletics announced today.

The 39-year-old's omission was not a surprise, given she missed the London 2012 Olympics with a foot injury and has only raced one marathon since 2009, in Beijing last year. She has competed just once this year over any distance.

UK Sport have narrowed the focus for funding for athletes across sports from those with top-eight potential to those who are medal contenders at global championships in the next Olympic cycle.

Radcliffe had been on podium-level funding, the highest level of Lottery support.

Means testing meant she did not get any financial aid, which runs from around £13,000 to £26,000, but she did benefit from access to coaches, facilities, medical staff and training camps.

She said on Twitter: "Just to clarify I am very grateful for the support Lottery Funding gives us athletes and fully expected to see it withdrawn.

"From the beginning I have only ever received medical support, which is of course significant and vital. Since funding came in, I have seen big differences in the depth and strength of all our sports.

"Retirement is definitely not in any plans! I'm not doing all this cross training and getting this foot healthy and strong for nothing!"

The mother of two, who saw her Olympic hopes ruined by illness and injury in 2004 and 2008, pulled out of the 2012 marathon with a foot injury after failing a fitness test a week before the event.

Radcliffe, who also missed last year's World Championships in Daegu, was third in Beijing last September in her last outing over 26 miles. Before that she had not run a marathon since November 2009 in New York.

Her only appearance this year was in a half marathon in Vienna in which she came sixth in a disappointing 72.03 minutes, her slowest time over the distance.

UKA said a significant number of athletes had exited the programme as they are not deemed medal contenders in 2016 or because they had not met agreed performance targets for the previous year.

UKA performance director Neil Black said: "Being part of the World Class Performance Plan is a privilege and not a right and athletes selected will be expected to fulfil tough performance criteria.

"We have identified a very talented group of athletes for support over the coming year and I am confident that we can build on the success of the last Olympic and Paralympic cycle starting with the European Indoors in Gothenburg in March.

"Accountability is at the heart of this programme and athletes who have not met performance criteria over the last year will not receive continued support. It is undoubtedly tough, but that is performance sport."

Dwain Chambers remains without Lottery funding despite being allowed back into the Olympic fold, because UK Sport, who distribute the money, have a zero tolerance attitude toward former drug cheats.

Athletes who impressed at the Olympics have been rewarded for their performances with increased funding.

High jump bronze medallist Robbie Grabarz has been promoted to podium funding, along with world junior 100m champion Adam Gemili.